Drumhead construction



May 10, 1966 J. G. STONE, JR., ETAL DRUMHEAD CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 29, 1964 Henjgfffilm erlcz Invenio 715: J, G. Stone Jr,

United States Patent ice 3,250,169 DRUMHEAD CONSTRUCTION J. G. Stone, Jr., Nashville, Tenn, and Henry H. Slingerland, Jr., Wilmette, Ill., assignors to Slingerland Drum Co., a partnership Filed Sept. 29, 1964, Ser. No. 399,968

1 Claim. (Cl. 84-411) This invention relates to musical drums and in part-icular to drumheads for use in such drums.

In certain musical drums a mufiler arrangement is provided for muflling the sound of the head as it is beaten by the drummer. The present invention is concerned with an improved arrangement wherein the mufller is formed integral with the drum-head.

Thus, a principal feature of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved drumhead construction.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of such a drumhead construction including a mufiler for use in rnufiling the sound of the beaten head.

Still another feature of the invention is the provision of such a drumhead construction including new and improved means for securing the mufiler in association with the drumhead.

Yet another feature of the invention is the provision of such a drumhead construction including .means defining a head having a middle beating portion :and a peripheral portion, a mufiler having a middle portion and outer portions, the outer portions of the muffler having substantially less peripheral extent than the peripheral head portion, a ring, the peripheral portion of the head and the outer portions of the mufiler being juxtaposed to the ring, and securing means operatively associated with the ring for fixedly securing the peripheral portion of the head and the outer portion of the muffier thereto with the middle portion of the muffler juxtaposed to the beating portion of the head.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a drumhead construction embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary enlarged bottom plan view thereof; 7

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary transverse section thereof illustrating a method of assembly thereof;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary transverse section taken substantially along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 5 with the drumhead installed on a drum shell by means of an overlying counter hoop;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary transverse section gen-' erally similar to that of FIGURE 4 but taken at a portion of the drumhead spaced from the muffler; and

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary transverse section of a modified drumhead construction embodying the invention.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention as disclosed in FIGURES l to 5 of the drawing, a drumhead designated 10 is shown to comprise a generally circular head 11 provided peripherally with a retaining ring structure generally designated 12. A mufiler 13 is secured by the retaining ring structure 12 in juxtaposed relationship to the head for mufiling the head sound in use thereof.

As shown in the drawing, the head 11 includes a middle beating portion 14 and a peripheral securing portion 15. The head is arranged to define a generallycircular configuration and may be preformed generally as shown in FIGURE 3 whereby the peripheral portion 15 includes an axially extending connecting portion 16, a

' suita ble mufiling material such as felt fabric.

turned lower portion 17, and an upturned edge portion 18 defining an annular channel 19. The muffler includes a middle mufiling portion 20 and a pair of outer end portions 21 each of which includes an axially extending portion 22, a turned lower portion 23 and an upturned edge portion 24.

The retaining ring structure 12 includes a first, extruded channel ring 25 having a bight portion 26, an inner upstanding leg 27 and an outer upstanding leg 28 which, as shown in FIGURE 4 in the final arrangement of the construction 10, is formed to define an inturned edge portion 29. The U-shaped peripheral portion 15 of the head and the U-shaped outer end portions 21 of the muffler are received within the annular channel 19 and are wedged against the channel structure 25 by means of a second ring 30 which is forced downwardly thereinto, as shown in FIGURE 3. The outer edge portion of the leg 28 is then inturned by a suitable forming tool (not shown) to lock the ring 30 in position, holding the peripheral portion 15 of the head and end portions 21 of the mufller in positive secured relationship with the ring structure 12.

The wedging arrangement of the ring 30 in the channel structure 25 is sufilcient to effect a clamping of the drumhead periphery 15 against the channel structure and those portions of the drumhead structure wherein only the drumhead periphery is present as illustrated in FIG- URE 5. Thus, the peripheral portion 15 of the drumhead is secured in the locking ring structure 12 along its entire circumferential extent by the positive mechanical gripping of the ring structures 30 and 25. In addition,

the muffler is held in position for etfecting a muflling operation by its positive retention at its opposite ends in the ring structure 12. Thus, accurate control of the mufiling function is obtained in a simple and economical manner.

The drumhead structure comprises a unitary assembly of the head 11, muffier 13, ring 25 and ring 30. This assembly is readily installable in a conventional drum structure, as illustrated in FIGURES 4 and 5, as the conventional counter hoop 31 is employed in the conventional manner to force the ring structure 12 downwardly in circumjacent relationship to the shell 32 of the drum sufiiciently to draw the head portion 14 and the mufiler portion 20 tautly across the upper bearing edge 33 of the shell. Thus, the mufller is automatically facially juxtaposed to the underside of the beating portion of the head for positive controlled muffiing of the head.

The head may be formed of suitable head material such as sheet material formed of Mylar (a polyethylene terephthalate resin). The muffler may be formed of The channel 25 may be formed of a suitable rigid formable material such as aluminum. The ring 30 may be formed of a suitable rigid material such as aluminum or steel.

Turning now to FIGURE 6, a modified form of drumhead generally designated embodying the invention is shown to comprise a generally circular head 111 and mufilcr 113 similarto head 11 and mufiler 13 of drumhead 10. However, in drumhead 110, the retaining ring structure 112 comprises a first channel ring 125 having a U-configuration throughout its annular extent. In the channel 119 is disposed the peripheral portion'115 of the head 111 and the end portions 121 of .the muffier 113. The peripheral portion 115 and end portions 121 are locked in the channel 119 by means of a body 13 0.of sheet plastic, herein illustratively comprising epoxy resin. To more firmly secure the head portion 115 and mother end portions 121, the head portion 115 may be provided with at least one hole 140, and the muffler end portions 121 may be provided with at least one hole 141 I through which the resin may extend and provide a positive interlock means. In the preformed form, as illustrated in FIGURE 6, the holes 140 and 141 are in registry.

In forming the drumhead 110, the peripheral portion 115 of the head and the mufiier end portions 121 may be preformed, as shown in FIGURE 6, to extend into the channel 119 in the manner illustrated. The epoxy resin is then inserted into the channel in liquid form so as to flow freely through the holes 140 and 141 and fully filling the channel 119. Upon setting in the channel, the epoxy resin positively locks the drumhead and mufiler to the channel thereby completing the assembly of the drumhead.

While we have shown and described certain embodiments of our invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

We claim:

A drumhead construction comprising: means defining a head having a middle beating portion and a peripheral portion; a mufiier having a middle portion and outer portions, said outer portions of the muffler having substantially less peripheral extent than said peripheral head portion, said mufiler being formed of a stretchable material; a ring, said peripheral portion of the head and said outer portions of the rnufiier being juxtaposed to said ring; and securing means operatively associated with said ring for fixedly securing said peripheral portion of the head and said outer portion of the mufiier thereto with said middle portion of the mufiler juxtaposed to said beating portion of the head, said middle portion of the muflier being spaced from said heating portion of the head prior to installation of the construction in a drum and stretchable to substantially contact said beating portion. of the head when installed in a drum.

References (Iited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 614,694 11/1898 Boulanger 84-41l 1,009,467 11/1911 Bryant 84-411 1,232,823 7/1917 Manning 84416 2,830,484 4/1958 Erwin 84414 2,934,989 5/1960 Belli et al 84--411 X 2,979,981 4/1961 Ludwig 84411 LEO SMILOW, Primary Examiner.

CHARLES M. OVERBEY, Assistant Examiner. 

